Tuesday, 13 April 2010

The Katyn massacre then and nowTimothy Garton Ash reflects on and compares in The Guardianthe historical circumstances revealed by the original secret massacre of Polish officers in 1940 and the recent plane crash, which killed the Polish president on his way to mark the 70th anniversary of that crime. The markedly different reaction to the two events, both in Poland and on the international scene, is a ‘glimmer in Poland’s darkness’ and Putin’s reaction has been viewed as a sign of a rapprochement between the two countries.

14 Greco-Roman tombs from 3rd century BC discovered in EgyptEgypt’s Culture Ministry announced yesterday, Monday April 12th, the recent discovery of 14 Greco-Roman tombs believed to date back to the third century BC in the Bahariya Oasis, 190 miles southwest of Cairo. The tombs were discovered during excavations for a planned youth centre. One of the tombs includes a female mummy adorned with jewellery and it is believed that the tombs may be part of a larger necropolis.Read the article published on the Reuters website.

Discovery of ancient urban centre in MexicoA team of archaeologists from Colorado State University has recently discovered the ruins of an ancient urban centre in the heart of the Purépecha Empire in the Lake Pátzcuaro Basin in the central Mexican state of Michoacán. It is believed that the settlement dates to between 1000 and 1520 AD and that the peak occupation of the site occurred just prior to the formation of the empire. To date, the team has only documented about one-fifth of the site. It is hoped that further research may provide clues about the formation of the Purépecha Empire. For further information, read the press release on the website of Colorado State University.